End fold mechanism



C. G. JOA

END FOLD MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1932 attorneys Patented May 8, 1934,END FOLD MECHANISM Curt G. Joa,

Manitowoc, Wis., assignor to Curt G. Joa, Inc.

Application June 6, 1932, Serial No. 615,511

14 Claims. (01. 223-15) Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure showingThis invention relates to improvements in end fold mechanism. It isparticularly adapted for folding the end portions of the gauze wrapperover the contained pad in the process of manunapkins.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel a naturaladhesion between a and simple apparatus employing belt and the gauzewrapper of a sanitary napkin, to produce movements of the wrapper withwhich may result in the particularly stated, it is my purpose tion. Morerespect to the pad desired folding operato support the laterally wrappedpad of a sanitary napkin for one direction the projecting of movementwhile end portions of the gauze wrapper are caused to adhere to a belttraveling in a different direction whereby to be folded upon the pad.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus from whichgauze wrappers unprovided with pads may mechanism.

be ejected without damage to-the It is my further purpose to provide anend folding devic e operable by the movement of the wrapped articlesthemselves, whereby to be independent of paratus and Itismy synchronismwith any other apsupporting means to receive the partially unwrappedpadduring the completion of a wrapping operation and for withdrawing saidsupporting means on operation for the the completion of the wrappingdischarge of the pad.

In the drawing:' Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically in side elevationa preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide rail being removedfrom the side of the belts nearest the observer in order to expose theconveying mechanism and the relation of the pad thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1with the afiixed detent shield removed to show the retractible supportfor the partially Figure3is wrapped pad. anenlarged detail view in crosssection taken in the plane indicated at 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a modified embodiment fragmentary detail showing a of theinvention in diaing in persp operation in ure 1.

ective the first step of the folding the use of the device shown inFigto function at an extremely high rate of speed.

further purpose to provide temporary orrica the first end fold partiallycompleted.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view in perspective,illustrating the movement of the partially wrapped napkin onto theportion of the The device preferably comprises conveyor belts l0 andaligned upper runs, as

two separate 15 having substantially shown in Figure 1, moving incorresponding directions so that a pad 16 laterally enfolded in liveredto belt by chute 10 to belt across the a wrapper 17 and .de-

18 will move from belt gap at 20 in the manner shown in Figure 1, thepad having sufiicient rigidity to span the gap.

As is well known in the art, sanitary napkins are made by envelopingterial, usually cellulose, When the sides of the wrapper the end perproject beyond the portions 21 a pad of suitable mawith a wrapper ofgauze. pad are engaged by the and 22 of the wrappad and are to be foldedover upon the pad by the mechanism of the present invention.

vas belting or beltingideal for the purpose.

covered with canvas is When belt 10 passes downwardly about pulley 23the gauze end portion 21 of the wrapper and move downwardly the pad,however, will will move directly across trailing the gauze end causing17 will adhere to the belt with it. The rigidity of be such that the padthe gap 20 onto belt 15, 21 beneath the pad and said gauze end to befolded upwardly against the under surface of the pad upon engagement ofthe gauze shown in Figures 1 It will be obvious tha 20 is dependent onthe 21 with belt 15, as clearly and 6.

t the spanning of the gap presence of a pad within the wrapper. If animperfect, non-rigid pad is present, or

if the pad has been accidentally omitted altogether from the section ofthe wrapper which automatically reject is moving on belt 10,

the incomplete napkin the machine will and it will pass downwardly withbelt 10 and be discharged below the apparatus shown in the drawing. Forthis reason the Figure 1 construction is preferred to that shown inFigure 4, in which a single belt 25 is'sub stituted for the separatebelts 10 and 15. Belt 25 passes about the guide roller 23 previouslydescribed and is then led over pulley 26 and pulley 2'1 to a point suchthat it is adapted to'receive the end of the pad; A further modificationsuggested by Figure '4 consists in substituting a rod 28 over which thepad 16 passes between the aligned portions of belting. In this device itis the rod 28 which actually folds the gauzeend portion 21 beneath thepad,

the principle being different from that shown in Figure 1, in which thisrod is omitted and the folding is actually done by the conveyor beltsthemselves.

Upon completion of the first end fold involving gauze portion 21 thepartially unwrapped pad proceeds to the portion of the apparatus inwhich the second end fold is made.

Belt 15 passes downwardly at a slight inclination over the guide roll 30to a guide roll 31 at the point of delivery. Spaced somewhat from thedownwardly inclined run 32 of the belt and disposed adjacent the guideroll 30, or any other point at which the belt makes a substantial changein direction, is a retractible slide 33 which serves as a temporarysupport for the partially wrapped article. Again the stiifness of thepad is relied upon to carry the pad and the previously completed gauzefold over the end of the temporary supporting plate 33, as best shown inFigure 7. The apparatus moves with considerable rapidity and the entirepad 16 is speedily projected across plate 33 upon which the pad tiltsdownwardly and slides untilits movement is arrested by a detent shield34. The point at which this shield brings the pad to rest is such thatthe upper end is near, or may project slightly beyond, the upper end ofthe temporary supporting plate 33. The continued movement of theconveyor with the pad thus supported will result in frictionallycarrying the end portion 22 of the wrapper beneath the plate 33 in sucha position as to underlie the pad in folded relation therebeneath.

The use of a stop is not essential to the invention as the movement ofthe gauze beneath the plate will snub the pad to hold it on the plate orits movement maybe otherwise retarded. 1

Means is provided whereby the advance of the succeeding article uponconveyor belt 15 will electromagnetically operate to retract thetemporary supporting plate or slide 33, thereby dropping the completelyfolded napkin onto the conveyor for discharge onto the receiving table35.

In the path of advance of articles carried by the conveyor is a springarm 36 connected with the moving contact 37 of a switch which includesfixed contact 38. These two contacts are connected in series with asource 39 of electric current and with a solenoid 40. The armature 41 ofthe solenoid is connected by links 42 and 43 and an intervening lever 44with the temporary support or sliding plate 33 which is reciprocable ina suitable guide shown in cross section at 45 in Figure 3.

With one pad resting on the support 33 and its gauze end 22 foldedbeneath it in the iinal'operation, as shown in Figure 1, the movement ofthe next ensuing folded article beneath spring arm 36 will operate saidarm to close the switch comprising contacts 37 and 38, therebyenergizing solenoid 40 and instantaneously retracting slide 33 to dropthe completed napkin to the conveyor. The switch will remain closeduntil the ensuing article has passed completely therebeneath, theresilience of arm 38 being suihcient to permit of such passage with nosubstantial opposition.

As soon as the ensuing article has passed arm 36 the switch is opened bycompression spring 47. thereby deenergizing solenoid 40 and permittingthe return of the temporary supporting plate 33 by tension spring 48.Thus, by the time the ensuing pad reaches the position for its finalfolding operation the plate 33 has been restored to a position toreceive the pad and the operation above described is repeated. X

It is particularly to be noted that this end folding mechanism operatesunitarily and independently of any other machine. Its speed may beincreased to such a point that it will handle many more pads than arecustomarily discharged upon it by the apparatus which folds the wrappersover the sides of the pads. Thus, there will always be a sufilcientinterval between pads, and the capacity of the end folding mechanism cannever be reached by the side folding mechanism. It is possible with thedevice embodying the present invention to produce end folds at a ratemore than double that of any existing apparatus for the purpose.

Not only does the device make a neat and fold with inexpensiveapparatus, but it automatically rejects imperfect napkins by dischargingthem between belts 10 and 15, as previously described.

I claim:

1. End fold mechanism comprising conveying means having spaced portionssufliciently close together so that the space between them may bespanned by a comparatively rigid article conveyed by said means, saidconveying means being composed of a material to which the projecting endportions of a textile wrapper of such article will adhere, thereby to'bedeflected into a position underlying the article.

2. In an end fold mechanism, the combination with a temporary supportingplate of means for delivering to said plate a partially wrapped-articlewith a projecting wrapper end, means whereby said end is carried beneaththe article supported by the plate, and means for retracting said platefrom between the article and the wrapper end folded therebeneath.

3. In an end folding mechanism, thecombination with a temporary supportfor pads partially wrapped with a textile envelope having an endprojecting beyond the pad, of conveyor means associated with thetemporary support for delivcry of the pad thereto, said conveyor meansand wrapper being mutually adherent and said conveyor means beingextended beneath said support whereby to be adapted to carry the wrapperend beneath the pad so supported, and means for discharging said padfrom said support to said conveyor upon its under folded wrapper end.

4. In an end folding mechanism, the combination with a conveyor of endfolding means including a retractible support, and means operated by themovement of articles on said conveyor for retracting said support,whereby said end folding mechanism is operable independently of otherdevices.

5. In an end folding mechanism, the combination with a temporary supportfor an article to be wrapped, means for folding the end of a wrapperwith respect to said article, and conveyor means for delivering anarticle to said support, of electromagnetic means for discharging saidarticle from said support, and a switch including an arm in the path ofa subsequent conveyed article for controlling said electromagneticmeans.

6. In an end fold mechanism, the combination with a conveyor and meansfor changing the direction of movement thereof, of a temporary supportadjacent said means in spaced relation to said conveyor and adapted toreceive an article passing from said conveyor in its original directionof movement, a stop limiting the motion of said article on said support,whereby to permit the wrapper of said article to be carried by saidconveyor beneath the support in folded relation to the article, andmechanically actuated means for retracting said support from between thearticlejkand the underfolded end portion of its wrap jer.

'7.. n an end fold mechanism, the combination with a conveyor and meansfor changing the direction of movement thereof, of a temporary support,adjacent said means in spaced relation to said conveyor and adapted toreceive an article passing'from-said conveyor in its original directionof movement, a stop limiting the motion of said article on said support,whereby to permit the wrapper of said article to be carried by saidconveyor beneath the support in folded relation to the article, andmechanically actuated means for retracting said support from between thearticle and the underfolded end portion of its wrapper, said means beingcontrolled by the movement of a subsequent article on said conveyortoward said support.

8. End folding mechanism comprising a single article supporting andconveying means including means for causing changes of direction of saidsupporting means at two points intermediate its ends, means at the firstof said points for folding a wrapper end beneath a comparatively rigidarticle moving with said conveyor means,

' and means at the second of said points for folding another wrapper endbeneath said article.

9.- End fold mechanism comprising conveyor means including an end fold.device operative upon a partially wrapped article during its continuousuninterrupted movement in one direction on said conveyor means, togetherwith a temporary support adapted to receive said article fromsaidconveyor means, a stop for temporarily interrupting its movement, saidconveyor means including means for causing a second end fold-of thewrapper about said article, and means for discharging said article'fromsaid support and stop upon said conveyor for continued travel therewithin the same direction.

10. The process of folding the end of a wrapper about a comparativelyrigid article, which method consists in conveying the article andwrapper substantially horizontally in one direction and changing thedirection of movement of the end portion of the wrapper projecting inadvance" of said article downwardly from said horizontal direction while,utilizing the relative rigidity of the article to maintain thedirection of movement of the otherwise unsupported end of the articleagainst the deflecting tendency arising from the change of direction ofsaid end portion of said wrapper.

11. The method of folding the projecting end of a flexible wrapper abouta comparatively rigid article, which method includes supporting thearticle, with said end portion in substantially the same plane as saidarticle, conveying said article along said plane, deflecting theforwardly projecting end downwardly from said plane and beneath thesupported article, and utilizing the comparative rigidity of the articlefor maintaining movement of the otherwise unsupported end of the articlein its original direction to fold the said deflected end portion of thewrapper upon the article.

12. The method of folding about a relatively rigid article the endportion of a flexible wrapper enveloping said article, which methodconsists in supporting said article at its rearmost portion with itsfront portion free of support while effecting a folding movement of saidend back against said article and subsequently transferring the supportof the article to the forward portion thereof against which the end ofsaid wrapper is folded whereby to complete the folding operation.

13. End folding mechanism comprising first and second conveyor elementsspaced to provide a gap across which the article to be wrapped may beprojected, the first conveyor element having a surface to which thewrapper for such article is adhesive and being extended from said gapaway from the path of said article whereby to initiate the foldingmovement of the forwardly projecting end portions of the wrapper forsuch an article, the completion of the folding of the end portions ofthe wrapper upon the article being effected by the continued movement ofthe article across the gap onto the second conveyor portion.

14. End folding mechanism for folding onto a pad the projecting end ofagauze wrapper for such pad, said mechanism comprising in combination aconveyor belt to which such a wrapper is adhesive, sa'fdbelt having adelivery flight and a flight deviating from said delivery flight, asecond conveyor spaced from the first conveyor to provide a gap alongwhich said deviating flight extends, the width of the gap being suchthat it may be spanned by the article delivered from said firstconveyor, the end of the gauze wrapper being carried by said deviatingflight away from the path of said article and drawn beneath the articleby the continued movement thereof across the gap.

r CURT G. JOA. I

